The Evil Dead - October 11th, 2010

[SymbioticFunction]

Originally Posted by Mobe1969

You must remember too, who actually created that matted abomination - AB.

At Sam Raimi's request. I have no problem with the widescreen version.

[The Driver]

Bizarre pick up this for Sony. I assume Starz or whatever they call themselves now needed the money. If it was that reason expect porting of much of the extras.

A definite buy for me (don't like the other films in the series) of course although I'll always hold on to my Book of The Dead (mine has real skin as I found a dead cow on the highway and used it. Could never get the eyes right though so went with our dog's when she died).

Go Sony! Lock this baby to Region B!

[Sig-gotyouth]

Prefer the US cover right now but I'm confident Sony will give the film a good service

[Alkaline]

Alright so I just commented on the Anchor Bay U.S. release blurb on the main page how I dig that cover art, but I'm definitely digging this more.

Oh, and pretty sure McCrutchy is right on the Army of Darkness business. Optimum for the most part just ports existing 5-star (and not so hot) transfers.

[Mobe1969]

Damn it I jumped the gun. US has the 1.33:1 and 1.85:1. UK only 1.85:1

http://homecinema.thedigitalfix.co.u...n-october.html

Originally Posted by SymbioticFunction

At Sam Raimi's request. I have no problem with the widescreen version.

Yeah, but it was never intended (just like Lucas _never_ originally intended Greedo to shoot first), has important data lost, and falls into a half baked revisionism scheme. When a director dicks about with their film after 20 or so years, it generally doesn't bode well. Only director I can think of that has done it well is Ridley Scott.

[SymbioticFunction]

Evil Dead was theatrically released in widescreen so "a director dicks about with their film after 20 or so years" isn't really the case here.

[KubrickFan]

Originally Posted by SymbioticFunction

Evil Dead was theatrically released in widescreen so "a director dicks about with their film after 20 or so years" isn't really the case here.

I really, really doubt that's the case, because they had to tilt the 1.85:1 extraction several times to create a 'decent' looking widescreen version.

[Eidolon]

Originally Posted by SymbioticFunction

Evil Dead was theatrically released in widescreen so "a director dicks about with their film after 20 or so years" isn't really the case here.

you're talking rubbish, but writing it as if its a fact.

Evil Dead has only 1 case of being screened theatrically widescreen (prior to the AB mess) as i understand it, and that was at a very small, early screening in 82. May have actually played under it's original title, but i'm not sure about that.
Cinemas are not now what they used to be. Bargain basement films like this and others such as Basket Case played in low tech cheap drive-ins and grindhouse cinamas, a world away from what we get now. Showing this stuff in 4x3 was common at the time. The net is full of rubbish telling you that Evil Dead and every other film ever made should be widescreen , but it's not true. Evil Dead was shot for 4x3, and that's how it should be seen


Evil Dead II did screen theatrically in matted widescreen, but the open matte version presented on the AB DVD is incorrect. Raimi actually did a handful of shots differently for the 4x3 version, but the AB DVD just opens the matte, without the correct altered angles where relevant. anyone who has an old vhs can check it. The most obvious one is the long profile shot of the car crossing the bridge. in the correct 4x3 version , its centrre of frame, in tyhe AB DVD open matte version, its near the top, when the shot was composed differently for the widescreen framing....

[blu_sharpy]

Originally Posted by Alkaline

Alright so I just commented on the Anchor Bay U.S. release blurb on the main page how I dig that cover art, but I'm definitely digging this more.

Oh, and pretty sure McCrutchy is right on the Army of Darkness business. Optimum for the most part just ports existing 5-star (and not so hot) transfers.

It was not ported. They worked in conjunction with MGM which is why their logo appears on the case and on the disc.

[Alkaline]

Originally Posted by blu_sharpy

It was not ported. They worked in conjunction with MGM which is why their logo appears on the case and on the disc.

And again, I'm saying I suspect, as McCrutchy stated, that MGM did all the actual legwork on the master. Feel free to prove me wrong, but Optimum's way of operating has made itself pretty well known over the years.

[HotRats]

It was a long time ago but I have vivid memories of seeing Evil Dead several times at the same sleazy cinema and they never showed it in a ratio as wide as 1.85, it was either 4:3 or possibly 1.66:1. I don't much care whether Sam Raimi prefers the 1.85 version, the 4:3 open matte Elite DVD looks right to me so I'll be buying the US edition (which will probably be reissued in slight variations every year until blu ray ceases to exist). On the subject of Raimi, its about time A Simple Plan made an appearance on blu, could look great in HD

[moweeis]

Seems they got the back cover aswell!

[Phil92]

[The Driver]

**** me, "Spine tingling" on artwork for The Evil Dead? Scare your shitless maybe. I'll be waiting for a cameo from Vincent Price next.

Nice to See Sony liking Region coding only when it suits them and when they can use it as a tool to damage other distributors [in the USA] and rights' holders.